Subexplorer
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Great Theme for this week end dear friend KM!! You show some beautiful examples of that era...
... in which quartz technology brought havoc in the Swiss Industry.
In 1983 I visited Geneve for business matters together with my father in law. We stayed a few days there and every afternoon after returning from the offices to reach our hotel we passed by the windows of the big Bucherer store nearby.
Last day my father in law and me decided to bring back a souvenir from that trip and entered the store before taking our plane back home.
At that time my only watch was my beloved 1680 Submariner and I decided that I needed a Date Just to make company to my diving watch.
The store clerck showed me the "last technological innovation" from Rolex, introduced just six years before which I had never seen and fell in love with it inmediately specially when the clerck informed me that I could chose whichever dial I wished from a large catalogue he showed me.
This all steel reference 17000 has never failed and the only thing needed since then was a change of batteries every 4 or 5 years which the local Rolex Service has done without any charge every time. It still ticks with same exactitude since bought brand new 35 years ago.
In the last few years I bought several other pieces to add to my Rolex Quartz collection which I show here.
A first series a reference 17013 from year 1978 (non COSC dial, as first years the movements were not cerfificated.
A reference 17013 from series K last year of production bought from a local AD in 2013 in NOS condition from their safe box.
A black dial 17000 from 1980 bought pre owned in excelent condition with black dial. Curiously this watch serial number is 6.000 numbers near the serial number of my first Oyster Quartz bought by me in 1983!!
Also got a reference 1630 from 1978 which is a model launched by Rolex three years before the Quartz series. This watch is no quartz but employs same 1570/75 mechanic self winding movement than the regular Datejust.
This model only lived for three years, and the case style was adopted for the Quartz line as you can see.
In total only 25.000 quartz watches were produced along the 25 years of life of this line (1977/2001) A very interesting model of Rolex indeed! The production watches employed the reliable 5035 movement which is considered as the finest quartz movement ever designed.
Hope you´ll like these watches!
Have a nice week end dear KM and all our nice friends here!
Cheers! Abel
Ref 17000 steel. My first Oyster Quartz bought in 1983 in Bucherer Geneve
Ref 17000 from 1980. Bought pre owned a few years ago. Only 6.000 numbers apart serial number from my first Rolex Quartz!!
Ref 17013 from K series of 2001. Last series built. Bought NOS at local AD
Ref 17013 from 1978. First series of Quartz with non COSC dial
Ref 1630 automatic winding model previous to Quartz line launched three years later adopting same case and bracelet design.
Movement 5035
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The WS for the 17th of August - ‘The Dark Ages’ - is live
As announced on Wednesday the theme for this week’s WS will be Dark Ages, aka the 1980 to 2000 time period. Any model that was in production then, irrespective of whether your specimen is from a bit before or after, is welcome So whether it’s a Golden Era...
a dark period indeed
here is a golden Pasha from that era Nice enough dial and hands but the case is challenging by today's standards. Is Cartier still producing the Pasha model? The one with the diver grille was fun too! ...
Not sure about today...
But the Genta generation Pasha was quite a fun piece. And a great one you have Vinnie!
Great theme...
... although the later years of the time span may also be the beginning of what I call the Golden Age, since between 1995 and possibly 2005 a huge number of exciting timepieces were (re-) created. So let me focus on some of those but keep the Dark Ages co...
These are some fantastic entries, Henrik!
And as you said, a Golden Age sprung out of it - was hoping for some Type XX and Blancpain exhibits to demonstrate this And counting on you to show them Thanks!
An excellent selection from your collection, KM! The Seiko is superb!
Here is my Lange 1, one of the very first luxury German watches manufactured after re-unification-and from a brand that promised never to make a quartz watch. ...
These are some fantastic shots, Padj!
And I guess they managed to keep the promise? Another example of the period producing the brightest of resurgence, too!
Nothing in my collection, either present or past, from the Dark Ages except . . .
. . . an '85 Rolex Air King . . . . . . exactly like this one, with Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) marking. Sold off to fund my first GO; an error of the first order. Now, if we can stretch the definition of Dark Ages watches to include designs that we...
I remember the Bapco Air King...
Art and the story around it. As for your second entry - fabulous! The period included the rebirth and renaissance of Saxonian watchmaking, which makes it a glorious time indeed
I personally love that period!!
This is my 1998 Omega Jumping Hours, made only for one year!! ...
Very nice entry, Cirotti!
Many brands tended to be a bit more open to experimentation back then I really love your Omega - I guess they haven’t produced a jumping hour one for a while now?
It used to be much more popular back in the day...
I still like it and would love to see it return more broadly
Omega has produced such a variety of case designs
This one is rare to come across: very nice Were there other dial colours? Black maybe?
Well,
that period wasn’t too bad at all! My Ultra Thin, typical specimen from that era: The undisputed Queen, the classical Lange 1, birth of an Icon: And another Jlc, here is the also iconic Reverso, the romantic Sun & Moon: The Minerva Anniversary dial, o...
What a selection, Adam!
Fully agree with you that there were plenty of spectacular pieces in the era - and you have a fantastic cross section that you’ve shown here! The new JLC, the Lange 1, the Reverso, the Minerva... fabulous!
I'll call mine "The Blue Ages"
One of the watches doesn't qualify for the 1980-2000 period, but the two others surely do. ...
The Dark Age...I think
you have stretched the time period too far, KMII. Starting latest in the mid 90s, watch designs have gone back to classic designs that still today look fresh and brands revived mechanical movements and developed in-house calibers. When I see Lange 1 being...
I was counting on some interesting entries from you, CC :)
And haven’t been disappointed That quartz chronometer is quite funky - the millimetre paper dial is really cool. And the 7000 series chrono I like more and more the more you show it
I was hoping to see your Pythagore, Livius :)
Your pictures have persuaded me to get one of my own after all Fantastic as always!
A fine example for the Dark Ages coming to an end
Cartier reentering the fine watchmaking realm back in 1999/2000 by reanimating the Tortue and by putting the THA monopusher chronograph into it. ...
One of my favourite CPCPs!
The Tortue Monopussoir is simply fantastic - thanks for sharing it!
These are really great!
Blancpain really made fantastic watches during that time. And you seem to have a fantastic collection Thanks for sharing it!
1997...the transition year...the Pre-A models
due to growing money problems, Panerai decided to "chuck it all in". As a consequence, the watch division is sold to the Vendome "swan song" is danced by some models that hadn't had a chance to be produced by...them Italians. While taking inventory and p...
Thanks a lot for adding these, Sergio!
And thank you for reposting them here Really nice to see the ‘early’ PAMs! Have a great weekend
Even if the first one was before....
What you have called the Dark Ages, it for sure helped to bring them into the business… GP were pioneers in the Quartz business! A classic that survived the Dark Ages... Reverso GT: A classic that survive, like coffee...! Best Blomman ...
Two fantastic pieces, Blomman!
Love the dial of your GP - so refreshing for the times and still cool today. As for the Reverso, a timeless classic
So looking back things weren’t really that bad!
Great theme this week. And despite my low level of participation I have much appreciation for the weekly wristscan. So now to the watches: Towards the end of the dark years VC had this baby, 36mm Platinum Jump Hours. Not my watch unfortunately, I still th...
Glad you like the theme :)
And given the watches you have from the period I can well understand Some fantastic pieces!
Yes, a great theme.
I had to think a little to see what would fall within the correct timeframe.
And what a collection you presented :)
I figured the theme might result in some different watches than we usually see
Great Theme for this week end dear friend KM!! You show some beautiful examples of that era...
... in which quartz technology brought havoc in the Swiss Industry. In 1983 I visited Geneve for business matters together with my father in law. We stayed a few days there and every afternoon after returning from the offices to reach our hotel we passed ...
Thanks for this spectacular entry, Abel!
Wasn’t aware of your Oysterquartz collection and the story behind is fantastic Just one question - the Ref 1630. I have read quite a bit on the Ref 1530, with the case later used for the Oysterquartz and a mechanical Cal. 1575 movement but never heard of ...
Thanks a lot dear KM for your kind comments! Glad you found...
... this post interesting. Model 1530 was called oyster Perpetual Date and was all steel Model 1630 called oyster Perpetual Datejust and was steel with gold bezel and a line of three links gold on center of bracelet. Shape of case and bracelet were simila...
Thanks for another interesting read, Abel :)
It is a Rolex reference I find quite interesting so any additional information is very welcome Have a great weekend!
My big pleasure dear KM! I'm no expert in this model but it is a pleasure to share my pieces and the information...
... I have gathered about them. I feel this is a very interesting aspect of Rolex colection little explored. And the watches are real beauties though they are not the usual shape we expect from Rolex, and very reliable and high quality as usual with this ...
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